Worship Calendar

Collect:

O Lord, we beseech thee, let thy continual pity cleanse and defend thy Church, and, because it cannot continue in safety without thy succor, preserve it evermore by thy help and goodness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one od, for ever and ever. Amen. (Proper 13)

The Tranfiguration is remembered each year not only on (or near) August 6, but also on the Last Sunday after the Epiphany, the season of Epiphany being a time when we travel alongside the disciples as they come to know Jesus of Nazareth as Christ, the Messiah.

At Saint Thomas, there have been many sermons over the years which are helpful in understanding this miraculous event. Among them are these: 

The Glory of God (2011) by Fr Daniels
Love We Can Hardly Bear to See (2010) by Fr Austin
A Sermon for the Last Sunday after Epiphany (2009) by Fr Stafford
The Transfigured Cross (2006) by Fr Mead
A Glimpse into Glory (2005) by Fr Mead

Collect:

O God, who on the holy mount didst reveal to chosen witnesses thy well-beloved Son, wonderfully transfigured, in raiment white and glistening: Mercifully grant that we, being delivered from the disquietude of this world, may by faith behold the King in his beauty; who with thee, O Father, and thee, O Holy Ghost, liveth and reigneth, one God, world without end. Amen.

Generally, one Saturday per month is set aside to commemorate the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Collect:

O Almighty God, who didst endue with singular grace the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of our Lord: Vouchsafe, we beseech thee, to hallow our bodies in purity, and our souls in humility and love; through the same our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

Collect:

Grant to us, Lord, we beseech thee, the spirit to think and do always such things as are right, that we, who cannot exist without thee, may by thee be enabled to live according to thy will; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (Proper 14)

Deacon and Martyr
d. August 10, 258

At a time when Christian worship was forbidden in the Roman Empire, Emperor Valerian issued an edict that all biships, priests and deacons immediately be put to death. According to Lesser Feasts and Fasts of the Episcopal Church (p. 322), "Though no authentic 'Acts' of Laurence’s ordeal have been preserved, the tradition is that the prefect demanded information from him about the Church’s treasures. Laurence, in reply, assembled the sick and poor to whom, as archdeacon, he had distributed the Church’s relief funds, and presented them to the prefect, saying, 'These are the treasures of the Church.' Laurence is believed to have been roasted alive on a gridiron."

Collect:

Almighty God, who didst call thy deacon Laurence to serve thee with deeds of love, and didst give him the crown of martyrdom: Grant we beseech thee, that we, following his example, may fulfill thy commandments by defending and
supporting the poor, and by loving thee with all our hearts; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Abbess at Assisi
b. July 16, 1194
d. August 11, 1253

Born into a wealthy family, Clare was inspired as a young woman by St. Francis of Assisi, and immediately renounced her wealth and followed his lead. With the support of Francis, she founded an order for woman known as "The Poor Ladies of Saint Damian." This order still exists today, commonly known as "Poor Clare's."

Collect:

O God, whose blessed Son became poor that we through his poverty might be rich: Deliver us, we pray thee, from an inordinate love of this world, that, inspired by the devotion of thy servant Clare, we may serve thee with singleness of heart, and attain to the riches of the age to come; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Nurse and Social Reformer
b. May 12, 1820
d. August 13, 1910

From today's Gospel Reading in Matthew 25: "I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me." Then the righteous will answer him, "Lord...when did we see thee a stranger and welcome thee, or naked and clothe thee? And when did we see the sick or in prison and visit thee?" And the king will answer them, "Truly, I say to you, just as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me."

Collect:

Life-giving God, thou alone hast power over life and death, over health and sickness: Give power, wisdom, and gentleness unto those who follow the lead of Florence Nightingale, that they, bearing with them thy presence, may not only heal but bless, and shine as lanterns of hope in the darkest hours of pain and fear; through Jesus Christ, the healer of body and soul, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Bishop of Down, Connor, and Dromore; Caroline Divine
b. 1613
d. August 13, 1667

The Caroline Divines were influential authors who thrived during the seventeenth century through the reign of Charles I and then, later, after the Restoration. Among the many Caroline Divines are Lancelot Andrewes, William Laud and Herbert Thorndike.

Jeremy Taylor is well known for his sermons, and even more well known for two books: The Rule and Exercises of Holy Living (1650) and The Rule and Exercises of Holy Dying (1651).

Collect:

O God, whose days are without end, and whose mercies cannot be numbered: Make us, we beseech thee, like thy servant Jeremy Taylor, deeply sensible of the shortness and uncertainty of human life; and let thy Holy Spirit lead us in holiness and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Collect:

O God, who hast taken to thyself the blessed Virgin Mary, mother of thy incarnate Son: Grant that we, who have been redeemed by his blood, may share with her the glory of thine eternal kingdom; through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Priest, Theologian and Writer; Dean of the School of Theology at the University of the South
b. April 11, 1836
d. August 18, 1918

Although William Porcher Dubose was a faithful servant from a young age, he didn't actually become a published writer until the age of 56. Among his many works are The Soteriology of the New Testament (1892) and The Gospel in the Gospels (1906).

Soter is the Greek word for Savior (DuBose was a Greek scholar). Therefore, Soteriology in the Christian context is the study of Christ as Savior, or put another way, the study of what we mean when we say Christ saves us.

See:
Why We Need to be Saved (2010) by Fr Mead
The Narrow Door (2010) by Fr Daniels
Walking with Christ (2004) by Fr Mead
Jesus Our Priest (2003) by Fr Mead

Collect:

Almighty God, who didst give to thy servant William Porcher DuBose special gifts of grace to understand the Scriptures and to teach the truth as it is in Christ Jesus: Grant, we beseech thee, that by this teaching we may know thee, the one true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent; who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Abbot of Claivaux; Doctor of the Church
b. 1090
d. August 20, 1153

The first Cistercian monk to be placed on the Calendar of Saints, Bernard founded 163 monastaries in Europe. He is credited with a profound rise in the veneration of Mary in the twelfth century.

In Dante's Divine Comedy, Bernard is the last of the guides through Paridiso, taking Dante toward the very face of God in the Empyrean.

Bernard is credited with writing the words to some of the hymns we continue to sing, including: O Jesus, joy of loving hearts (#649) and Jesus, the very thought of thee (#642).

Collect:

O God, by whose grace thy servant Bernard of Clairvaux, enkindled with the fire of thy love, became a burning and a shining light in thy Church: Grant that we also may be aflame with the spirit of love and discipline, and may ever walk before thee as children of light; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, liveth and reigneth, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Collect:

Grant, we beseech thee, merciful God, that thy Church, being gathered together in unity by thy Holy Spirit, may manifest thy power among all peoples, to the glory of thy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the same Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen. (Proper 16)

Little is known about Bartholomew, other than that he was one of the twelve apostles and that he was present at the Ascension.

Some are said to have seen Saint Bart in India; others in Armenia; still others on Park Avenue.

Collect:

O Almighty and everlasting God, who didst give to thine apostle Bartholomew grace truly to believe and to preach thy Word: Grant, we beseech thee, unto thy Church to love what he believed and to preach what he taught; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

King of France
b. 1214
d. 1270 

King Louis IX is the only French monarch to have been canonized.

Collect:

O God, who didst call thy servant Louis of France to an earthly throne that he might advance thy heavenly kingdom, and didst give him zeal for thy Church and love for thy people: Mercifully grant that we who commemorate him this day may be fruitful in good works, and attain to the glorious crown of thy saints; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Thomas Gallaudet
b. June 3, 1822
d. August 27, 1902

Often called the "Apostle to the Deaf," Gallaudet founded St. Ann's Church for Deaf Mutes, the first church of its kind, in New York City in 1852.

Henry Winter Syle
b. November 9, 1846
d. January 6, 1890

A student of Gallaudet, Syle became the first deaf person to be ordained an Episcopal priest.

_____

From today's Gospel according to Saint Mark: [Jesus] has done all things well; he even makes the deaf hear and the dumb speak.

Collect:

O loving God, who willest that everyone should come to thee and be saved: We bless thy holy Name for thy servants Thomas Gallaudet and Henry Winter Syle, whose labors with and for those who are deaf we commemorate today, and we pray that thou wouldest continually move thy Church to respond in love to the needs of all people; through Jesus Christ, who opened the ears of the deaf, and who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now
and for ever. Amen.

Bishop of Hippo; Doctor of the Church
b. November 13, 354
d. August 28, 430

To say that Saint Augustine is a "leader" or "father" of the church seems an understatement. Few figures have been more influencial on the development of Christian theology. Among his many writings are his Confessions and The City of God.

Augustine's influence extends right into the Saint Thomas pulpit to this very day, where our priests regularly rely on his wisdom and clarity, and even on the lessons to be learned from his own life. Among so many examples in the trove are these:

To Be Transformed, Present Your Body by Fr Austin (2008)
The Love of Money by Fr Mead (2006)
All in the Family by Fr Mead (2005)
Patience Wins the Day by Fr Mead (2005)
Enter by the Strait Gate by Fr Mead (2004)

Please note: beginning Tuesday, September 7, 2010, a 5-week class on the Confessions of Saint Augustine. Father Austin will offer a guided reading of the text, emphasizing core questions of Christian belief.

Collect:

O Lord God, who art the light of the minds that know thee, the life of the souls that love thee, and the strength of the hearts that serve thee: Help us, following the example of thy servant Augustine of Hippo, so to know thee that we may truly love thee, and so to love thee that we may fully serve thee, whom to serve is perfect freedom; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Collect:

Lord of all power and might, who art the author and giver of all good things: Graft in our hearts the love of thy Name, increase in us true religion, nourish us with all goodness, and bring forth in us the fruit of good works; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (Proper 17)

Bishop of Lindisfarne
d. August 31, 651 

Aidan's strength was his earnest simplicity. He shared the gospel face to face, one person at a time, traveling from village to village on foot, giving all that he had to anyone in need along the way.

Collect:

O loving God, who didst call thy servant Aidan from the peace of a cloister to re-establish the Christian mission in northern England, and didst endow him with gentleness, simplicity, and strength: Grant, we beseech thee, that we, following his example, may use what thou hast given us for the relief of human need, and may persevere in commending the saving Gospel of our Redeemer Jesus Christ; who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.